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Sunday, August 13, 2017

Nugget and Grizzly Peak Fires 100 Percent Lined

After sixty straight hours of firefighting, the
Nugget Fire is 100 percent lined as of today. Initially, the terrain posed too
many challenges to crews to build a direct fire line, such as steep slopes, an abundance
of hazard trees and poor access leaving limited to no escape routes. However, over
the past 24 hours significant progress has been made in improving access and
creating safety zones. Local contractors from Butte Falls to Roseburg were
brought in to assist with the removal of numerous hazard trees all within the
fire’s estimated 5 to 10 acre perimeter. This allowed firefighters overnight to
switch tactics from building indirect line away from the fire’s edge, to constructing
a control line up against the perimeter of the burning landscape. Firefighters
are now set up for a more successful and safe firefight.

Air operations continues to play a vital role in the
Nugget Fire. The continuous bucket drops being made have helped cool hot spots
while ground crews chipped away at their respective goals. While members of the
community will still see helicopters dipping out of the Rogue River in Gold
Hill, this is to continue to suppress the interior heat while firefighters on
the ground begin mopping up from the perimeter moving inward.

The Nugget Fire was first reported late Thursday
night burning on Nugget Butte in Gold Hill. The cause of the fire is under
investigation. We would like to thank our partners and members of the community
for the continued support.

The series of fires near Grizzly Peak are now 100
percent lined and 90 percent mopped up. Firefighters will be combing the area
this week in order to ensure that no additional hot spots are present. The
trail system will remain closed until firefighters wrap up their work and feel
that there is no longer a threat to public health and safety. Thank you all in
advance for your patience.

Please keep in mind that we are still in “Extreme”
Fire Danger in Jackson and Josephine Counties. Make sure you and your family
are aware of the current fire restrictions in place. For additional information
about the Oregon Department of Forestry’s current fire restrictions, please
visit: ODF Southwest on Facebook,
or www.swofire.com.